Bearing apparatus



March 6, 1945.

W. B. FLANDERS BEARING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 14, 1943 Rx R om n 1. MR M E m w m F a A H R Y T "b A B O B W 3 J.- 2 -1- PM E M 3H 1/ I March 6, 1945. w. B. 'FL'ANDERS 7 5 BEARING APPARATUS Filed Oct.14, 194 2.Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG-Z.

INVENTOR WARREN aFgANosas BY obi 65M ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 6 1945UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFJl.CE ,y I .II N N23703:! I we BEARINGAPPARATUS 1 A Warren B. Flanders, Philadelphia Pa'., assignor toWestinghouse Electric& Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh,' l 'a., acorporation of ami ies.

Application October 14, 1945, Serial No. 506,143 ocl ims; ,(o1.3oss4.1)] I The invention relates to an assembly wherein a pair of spacedbearings carrying a member having overhanging ends for connection tooverhanging driving and driven elements and it' has for an object toprovide for radial support of the bearings by a suitable body member andfor axial .support of the assembly by one of the bearings.

of a drive shaft and arranged so as to facilitate relative adjustmentsfordesired thrust bearing.

clearance and drive shaft axial location.

In the application of Schmidt, Serial No.

506,155, filed October-14, 1943, there is disclosed and. claimed avertical blower provided with a vertical driveshaft with'overhungturbine and propeller elements and having improved means for supportingand lubricating the bearings and for sealing the reservoir againstescape of oil due i to suction effects; and, in the application ofPonomarefl, Serial No. 507,085; filed October 21, 1943, there aredisclosed and claimed improved structural features,v the provision ofmeans for forcibly lubricating the bearings and includin a tubularelement connecting the latter so as to supply oil escaping from theupper end of the lower bearing to the lower end of the upper bearing,improved self-containedmeans for coolin the oil, and improved: means forfurnishing air to the sealing device. In accordance with the presentinvention, the bearings are connected-by a tubular, elementwithadjustment to provide the desired thrust bearing clearance. In addition,provision is made for adjustment of the assembly as a whole to secure adesiredaxial location of the drive shaft. Accordingly, a furtherimproved bearing assembly;v V ,H'z'a I Fig; 2 is'asectional view," drawnto larger scale, and showing the bearing assembly in'detail. Referringto the drawings, there is =-showna blower having a body member I!)including'opposed walls II and I2 defining an interior chamber l3 forlubricatingoil. A drive shaft 14 ex-i tends through the chamber and thewalls 1 land 12 so that its end portions l5 and I6 overhang the latter.A motor rotor I1 and a propeller I8 are attached to the and Hi. I

'The drive shaft has journal portions 19 and Zn-separating thrustabutments 2| and 22 from the end portionsl 5 and I6. i

Bearings 23 and have bearings surfaces 25 and. 26 cooperating vwith thejournal portions 19 and 20 and thrust surfaces Hand 28 cooperating withthrust abutments 2i and 22; The bearings aresupported axially from thewall He and radially by both the walls I I and I 2.

To1.provide. for axial support, the bearing 23 hasaflange 29 attached byscrews 30. to the.

wall II and the bearing 24 is supported and spaced from the bearing 23.by a sleeve element 3|. 1 One end of the sleeve element has, an ineterior shoulder 32 for engagement with an ex ternal-shoulder '33 formedon the bearing 24 and,

A set screw 35 provides for locking of the bear-,

ing 23 and the sleeve element adjustment is made. q

In assembling, the bearing 23 and the sleeve 3| are turned relativelytobring the thrust sur-l after. the required faces 21 and 28 firmly intoengagement withrthe shaftthrust abutments 2| and22 and the clearancebetween the upper end 3la of thesleevel and theopposed surface 29a ofthe flange29 is measured. A spacer ring 34a hasits axial. di-

mension formed to suit the measured clearance I increased by a smallamount for bearing running clearance. The sleeve'and the bearing arethen screwed together until'the spacer ring firmly engages the surfaces3la and 2 9a, whereupon theset screw 35 is tightened Thus, ;in'manuoverhanging end portion It facture, the bearing running clearance isaccurately provided for with assurance that, in final assembly andreassembly at any later time, such clearance will be preserved.

Radial loads of the bearings 23 and 24 are carried by the opposed wallsII and I2. has an opening 36 fitting the bearing 23, or the portionthereofgtelescoped by the sleeve, circumferentially and an annularmember 31 integral with the other wall l2 affords radial support for thebearing 24 While permitting of axial adjust ment thereof. Thus, it willbe seen that; .for;a: given axial position of the bearing 23, theteleseopic or guided radial support for, the bearing 24 allows whateveraxial movement-*ofithe latter may be required incident to'adjustment ofthe threaded connection 34 for the required thrust bearing runningclearance.

In addition to the adjustment for thrustbearing clearance, there is alsoprovided an'adjust' ment whichis effective-toiposition the drive shaftaxially. To: this. end, shims: 38. areshow-n rare ranged between thefiange'ZB and the wall H-,,the shims .beingheldfin compression by-meansof-the; screws'30. By increasing-the number of shims,- the drive shaft;may be} axially. adjusted in one direction and decreasing.thEJHImbBIFEtIlBIBOf pro videsi for, adjustmentzintheother direction-.This is, desirable particularly; where: the; drive shaft is: attached toa, part; such-as pa turbine rotor," re;- quiring axial location withinclose limits.

The, lower: ends of: the bottom: -j ournal portion 20: and? bearing 24are; spaced; abVe:-. the-,-0ilres I ervoir bottom surface providedby.-the;lowen:walli l2; so that the. oil? may. have access; theretothrough: openings 40: provided. in; the. annular; member 31. Thelowerwall: drive shaft opening is ;bordered1by.anv upright integral sleeve:element.

41; providing adam for. retaining; zoiL in: the. reservoir, the sleeveelement: extending; within: a:. channel 4250f annular section.formedtinithe, drive shaft and extendingzupwardly from thelower endiof:'the journalportion. The lower journal por tionhas a shallow.helical. groove. 43 open tothe: reservoirat its lower end landcooperating with": thellower bearingto provide a viscosity pump forsupplying oil to both bearings; oil being -passed through the lowerbearing and then through the-* tubular element to the upper=bearingfromzwh'ose upper end oil-drains by gravity'back' to-the reservoir.Thus, it will be seen that the structure; the annular'element or guide:3'land the lower end offthe tubular element fitting therein;aifordsradial support for the. lower bearingand-"tele scopes or'overlaps thelatterwith the result that parting from the spirit thereof;audit is *d'esiredfi therefore, that only such" limitations shallfbeplaced thereupon as are specifically setforth" inthe appended claims:

What'is'claimedis: i 1. In' apparatus of the character described; a--body 1 member havingfirst' and second opposed" ends; an assemblyincludingstationary and mov ineco'mponents; said moving component comprising a '-rotary* member extending "through" the Thewall llof:thebodyv member.

body member, having first and second end portions overhaging the firstand second ends of the latter, and having oppositely-facing thrustabutments separated by journal portions from 5 the first and secondoverhanging end portions;

said stationary component comprising first and second bearings havingbearing surfaces cooperating; with-the journal portionsland the thrustabutments and a tubulartension member connecting the bearings; means forsupporting the 1-55 component: and means for axially supportingthestationary component with respect to the first end of theb'odymember.

2.111183 combination as claimed in claim 1 whereinthe first bearing ofthe-stationary com- 20*'ponent"fits'an opening formed in the first endotathelabody, membereandzl-ha a flange; attached twthe. latten andwhereinthe, tubular, tension;- member -.teles copes.over the second-bearing; .and fits; within aaguide carried by, the secondrendr3.apparatus.;.ofthe; character described a body. member, having:supnpr-tingewalls at. on posi-te first and: second end thereof; an;assembly: including-1 stationary 1 and; moving; compo-- nents; saidvmovingcomponentcomprising-;.a .ro

taryemembenextending; throughthe body; meme Y ber; haying; end.portions. which. overhang-;.the;. ends; of: thedalltel; and; having;oppositely-fac ing thrust abutments separated by; journal 1. por

tions;irom-saidfend portions;- said-ystationary-ipassing; the:rotarymember andsuppprtingxonel bearing from the other;meansaeffective.imam axial directionrfor; fixedly securing'ithe firstend of; the stationary. component-mo the first-support in z wall;andrmeans for supporting:v saidt stae tionary; component.radiallywwitharespect tosb'oth. supporting; walls and including ianraxiala guide:- carried by.thessecondtsupporting wall; a I

4; The combination as. claimed: in; claim 3:-

wherein the supported bearings anditthe-tubulari element are joined; by;'a.threaded connection with: aspacing'membera clamped: therebetween andwhose spacing: dimensionaisthat with the thrust. surfaces of? the.bearings firmly engaging the t. abutments increasedr-by a small amountfor thrust; bearing running clearance; i V

5... In: apparatus: of: the: character described; a body member.having..-first.and-second supporting walls. at: opposite. ends thereofran assembly in cluding stationary and "moving components; saidmovingcomponent comprising a rotary member: having end portion whichoverhang the upper and lower ends: of the l body memberand having journal' portionsseparating the thrust-abutments from the end portions;said stationary com-po ing first and second bearing having bearingsurfaces cooperating with the' journal portions and the thrust'abutment's, a tub'ularelement effective in an axial directionfor-supporting the second-" hearing from the first, -and aflange carriedby the first end of the stationaryv component and overlapping the firstsupporting=wall j means effectivedn an aXiaI direction forfi'iredly'securing the flange tothefirst wa11-' and "including spac'- ing means ofvariable thickness interposed be nent having firstand second ends andinclud' tween the flange and the wall together with screw means forconnecting the flange and the wall; and means for supporting saidstationary component radially with respect to the first and second wallsand including a guide carried by the second wall and providing forrelative axial movement of such component. v l

6. The combination as claimed in claim wherein the flange is integralwith the first bearing and the latter and the tubular element are joinedby a threaded connection with a spac-. ing member clamped therebetweenand whose I spacing dimension is that with the thrust sur to provideradial support by the latter of the stationary component with a spacingmember clamped between the flange and the adjacent end of the tubularelement and whose spacing dimension is that with the thrust surface ofthe bearings firmly engaging the abutments increased by a small amountfor thrust bearing" running clearance together with means for lockingtogether the bearing and the tubular element faces of the bearingsfirmly engaging the abutments increased by a small amount for thrustbearing running clearance. 7

7. In apparatus of the character described, a body. member havingsupporting walls at the upper and lower ends thereof; a vertical driveshaft assembly including stationary and moving components; said movingcomponent comprising a drive shaft having end portions overhanging theupper and lower walls of the body member and having oppositely-facingthrust abutments separated by journal portions from the overhanging endportions; said stationary component including upper and lower bearingshaving bearing surfaces cooperating with the journal portions and thethrust abutments, a tubular member having an internal shoulder engaging'underneathan external shoulder on the lower bearing and having athreaded connection with respect to the upper bearing; means effectivein an axial direction for fixedly'securing the stationary component tothe upper wall; and means for supporting said stationary componentradially with respect to the supporting walls and including a, guidecarried by the lower wall and telescoping the lower end of the tubularmember.

8. The combination as claimed in claim 7 wherein the upper bearing has aflange attached to the upper wall with shims interposed and wherein thethreaded connection between the tubular element and the upper bearing isarranged internally of the former and externallyof the latter so thatthe tubular element may fit a suitably formed opening in the upper wallspaced by the spacing member.

9. In apparatus of the character described, a

body member provided with an interior lubricating oil chamber havingupper and lower walls; a vertically-disposed drive shaft assemblyincluding stationary and moving components; said moving componentcomprising a drive shaft having upper and lower end portions overhangingthe upper and lower walls of the body member,

oppositely-facing thrust abutments, and journal portions separating thelatter from the end poropening formed in the upper wall and fitting theupper bearing circumferentially and a' guide carried by the lower walland telescoping over the lower end of the tubular member to provide forrelative axial movement of the latter; a flange formed on the upperbearing and attached to the upper wall; said supporting means for thelower bearing being constructed and arranged to provide for access ofoil from the chamber to the lower end of the latter; and means includingthe lower bearing and the tubular element to secure circulation oflubricating oil from the chamber in series through the lower bearing,then through the upper bearing and from the latter back to the chamber.

WAR,REN B. FLANDERS;

